What's going on behind the scenes at LSU?

Here's my assessment of what is going on right now behind the scenes at LSU in regards to Saban (and will continue throughout the weekend) ...

1. Saban would like to return to LSU, that much has been made clear to certain people at LSU (herein after referred to as Friends of Saban).

2. The Friends of Saban at LSU want Nick to replace Miles after Miles heads to Michigan next week. The numbers being discussed are approximately $3 million per year with a HUGE buyout, around $10 million ... basically a contract that would keep Saban here until he either retired or was fired. He would never be able to leave LSU for another job. Even the Friends of Saban know Saban's return will never happen without the big buyout in the contract (and less money per year than his current Alabama contract).

3. However, there is also a smaller contingent of "LSU power players" that are adamently opposed to the return of Saban (for simplicity purposes herein after referred to as Friends of Bertman). Bertman as a lame duck AD, who although will not be the ultimate decision-maker in the process of hiring the new coach, still has many friends in high places at LSU who tend to agree with his position on Saban and share in their dislike of Nick. Not to mention despite the lame duck status, he is still presently the head of athletics at LSU, regardless of his upcoming retirement, and will still have at least a "voice" in the process, albeit not the final voice per se.

Right now, it's basically a tug-of-war between the Friends of Saban and the Friends of Bertman. Whichever group gets Lombardi and O'Keefe on board and in agreement with their side will likely win the ultimate battle. The question right now has nothing to do with Saban's desire to return to LSU ... the desire is certainly there on his part. The question is which contingent garners the most support from the ultimate decision-makers in this process. When Lombardi ultimately offers a name to the BOS, they will confirm it undoubtedly as all of the disagreements among the parties will have been ironed out with the "losers" finally giving in to the majority rule. It all comes down to politics now, and one of the major players and final decision-maker is a relatively new piece to the LSU puzzle (Lombardi). I believe in the end, it will be Lombardi who ultimitely decides the outcome of this tug-o-war.

As a subplot to all of this, the ultimate decision-maker, Lombardi, doesn't even have Saban as the #1 guy on his candidate list, although the guy he would prefer (Spurrier) likely has no intention of leaving S.C. for LSU. Lombardi will certainly try to change his mind, though, when Miles does in fact head to Michigan and if the Saban deal falls through.